Southend Airport Business Park Phase 2 - Full Business Case August 2018 FINAL DRAFT FOR SDG REVIEW Version control Document ID Version V2 – for SDG review Author Southend on Sea Borough Council (supported by Cushman & Wakefield) Document status Final draft Authorised by Emma Cooney Date authorised 17 August 2018 Appendix Register Appendix Appendix Title I Rex Procter & Partners Phase 2 Infrastructure RIBA Stage 2 Cost Plan II Frank Whittle Partnership Launchpad RIBA Stage 2 Cost Plan III Southend on Sea Borough Council Cost Plan and QRA for the sustainable cycleway/footpath scheme IV Latest Jefferson Sheard ABP Masterplan V Sustrans 2015 Walking and Cycling Route Study VI Phase 1 & 2 site area plan VII ABP Enquiry Schedule – June 2018 VIII ABP Indicative Phase 2 Development Appraisal IX Oxford Innovation Launchpad Demand and Viability Report (DRAFT) X SBC Procurement Strategy 2016-2019 XI Phase 2 Infrastucture Works Delivery Programme/Gantt Chart XII Section 151 Letter XIII Phase 2 Infrastructure works QRA XIV Launchpad QRA XV Launchpad Delivery Programme 1. PROJECT SUMMARY 1.1. Project name London Southend Airport Business Park (ABP) – Phase 2 Infrastructure and Innovation Centre 1.2. Project type Non-transport project – enabling site infrastructure and innovation centre 1.3. Location London Southend Airport, Southend-on-Sea (land off Aviation Way) 1.4. Local authority Rochford District Council area and postcode SS2 5RR location 1.5. Description Introduction to the Airport Business Park Southend on Sea Borough Council (the “Council”), in conjunction with its appointed development partner, Henry Boot Developments Limited (HBDL) and neighbouring local authority, Rochford District Council, is seeking to deliver its ambitions for Southend Airport Business Park (ABP), a major strategic and allocated employment site located within the Rochford District, in close proximity to London Southend Airport. The Airport is one of the fastest growing airports in Europe and is a major economic asset within the SELEP economy. In June 2018, Ryanair announced the launch of a new base at the Airport and will operate nearly 60 flights per week to 13 destinations in 8 countries from 2019. According to data supplied by aviation analysts OAG, London Southend Airport is scheduled to welcome up to 977,204 departing passengers in 2018, representing a 37% increase on last year’s figure of 712,842. Which? Magazine has recently rated Southend as the capital’s best airport for last three consecutive years1. The ABP is a 55 acre greenfield site allocated for employment uses, the freehold of which is owned by Southend on Sea Borough Council. The site is supported through an adopted Joint Area Action Plan (JAAP) for employment uses and also benefits from detailed planning consent for the phase 1 infrastructure works which are well underway and outline planning consent for the phase 2 infrastructure scheme for which this business case is seeking £19.89m of Local Growth Fund (LGF) investment from the SELEP. Following Outline Business case approval in September 2017, design works progressed to the submission of a Reserved Matters Planning application in April 2018 with Planning Approval due by August 2018 in relation to the Phase 2 infrastructure works. By the time this FBC reaches the LEP’s Accountability Board in September 2018, the Phase 2 infrastructure works are likely to have already secured Reserved Matters consent. Both Southend and Rochford Councils have been progressing the development of an Airport Business Park on this site for a number of years. It is viewed by both local authorities as being critical to not only supporting the continued and demonstrable growth of the Airport and its associated activities as a key economic asset for the SELEP area but also to address the current deficiency of high quality employment land and premises in the area to promote the economic growth and sustainability of the wider SELEP economy. This is a unique opportunity to develop a high value business park in the Southend area which will bring mutual benefits of significant direct and indirect employment opportunities as well as supporting the growth of the Airport itself. Without further LGF funding support, the ambitions for a new regional employment site will not be able to be realised. In December 2014, both Council’s approved the adoption of the London Southend Airport and Environs Joint Area Action Plan (the ‘JAAP’) following an extensive period of stakeholder consultation and evidence base development. At the same time as this, Southend Council procured and appointed HBDL as its development partner for the site through an OJEU process on the basis of an agreed development agreement. As part of this, HBDL then commenced a process of site initial feasibility, master planning and market testing to progress site delivery. HBDL, through its appointed joint commercial property agents, has stimulated significant market and occupier interest in the site and the appended enquiry schedules stand testament to this. However, the realisation of these market interests is wholly dependent upon the provision of serviced development plots which the site cannot currently offer and in the absence of LGF support, these will not be delivered on grounds of a lack of commercial viability for HBDL or indeed any other private sector developer. Following approval of the previously submitted Outline Business Case by the SELEP’s Accountability Board in September 2017, this document represents a Full Business Case for submission to and final approval at the September 2018 SELEP Accountability Board in accordance with the SELEP’s Assurance Framework requirements. It is based upon a comprehensive update and refinement of the previously submitted and approved Outline Business Case to adhere to HM Treasury and SELEP FBC requirements. Since the previous OBC, further technical work, scheme design and costings have been undertaken in relation to the Phase 2 scheme and the delivery of the Phase 1 scheme has been progressing on site. As a result of this, the scheme costs across phases 1 and 2 have inevitably changed as the overall scheme has progressed. Whilst there have been some unforeseen utility cost increases in the phase 1 scheme, the phase 2 cost estimates based on the latest RIBA Stage 2 cost plans, have been reduced through value engineering, resulting in a position whereby the overall scheme across phases 1 and 2 remains within the originally presented and approved LGF funding envelope across both phases of 1 https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/comment/southend-airport-fastest-growing-best/ £23.09m. This business case is specifically seeking £19.89m of LGF funding to deliver the phase 2 ABP scheme. The Phase 1 Infrastructure Scheme The ABP scheme was notionally allocated £20.68m of LGF through the SELEP Growth Deal. A business case seeking £3.2m to deliver a phase 1 infrastructure scheme was submitted through the SELEP’s Independent Technical Evaluation process in January 2016, in response to the Government’s Growth Deal announcement in January 2015. In March 2016, it was announced that the Council had been successful in securing £3.2m of Local Growth Fund (LGF) investment from the SELEP to deliver the first phase of infrastructure on the ABP. The Council has received this funding and is well underway with delivering the phase 1 infrastructure scheme as proposed. This includes the following works delivered through the phase 1 scheme: Roundabout (S278 works) at west site entrance to access the development land First section of spine road (Phase 1) to access first 6 plots and Utility supplies (Phase 1) to serve first 6 plots and Rugby Club New Rugby Pitches to north boundary built early to allow bedding in New Rugby Club House to facilitate the relocation of the rugby club and the vacation of the existing one Club Relocation to new Club House and Pitches, opening up the west side of the development The phase 1 scheme principally comprises on and offsite enabling infrastructure works (including the Council funded rugby club relocation) to unlock the ABP ambitions and to provide site access/connectivity into the existing highway network and the first section of the new spine road into the site. The phase 2 scheme that is proposed then builds on this to provide required on-site infrastructure works to enable the delivery of serviced development plots as well the delivery of a new innovation centre and off site cycleways to ensure that the employment site is physically connected to sustainable transport hubs and surrounding residential areas. A critical enabling component of this phase 1 scheme is the relocation of the existing Westcliff Rugby Club to Council owned land east of Cherry Orchard Way, adjacent to the proposed business park site, to facilitate the business park development. A planning application for the business park site seeking detailed consent for the phase 1 infrastructure works and an outline consent for the phase 2 scheme as proposed was approved by Rochford District Council in March 2016 (along with a parallel hybrid application seeking outline consent for the relocation of the rugby club to the adjacent Council-owned site with detailed planning consent for site access and pitches, which was also approved). In July 2016, contractors commenced with the creation of new rugby pitches to the north of the site which were seeded ready for the start of the 2017/18 winter playing season. Full planning consent for a new club house was secured in June 2017. A progress update against each of the Phase 1 scheme components is presented below. In summary, despite some unforeseen delays associated with utilities and the rugby club designs, the Phase 1 scheme is progressing well to the point where it will be fully completed by April 2019. Scheme component Update/Current Position Infrastructure Consents and Business Case Outline Consent for the development and detailed consent for the Phase 1 roads was secured a few months later than programmed, with some hold ups attributable to finalising the S106 with Rochford Council.